Milwaukee Roots: Milwaukee R&B singer Carlton Thompson Jr. is clocking time on regional radio

Milwaukee Roots: Milwaukee R&B singer Carlton Thompson Jr. is clocking time on regional radio with his latest song, “Roots,” an 11th-hour inclusion on the soundtrack to Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Given short notice and little more than the gist of the film’s plotman goes from rags to riches; forgets where he came from Thompson wrote the song in a day, finalizing the recording in about half a week. “I call it my Bobby McFerrin number,” Thompson says, since he recorded the track a cappella, harmonizing with himself, beat-boxing the bass line and clapping and pounding his chest for percussion.

Thompson says the silky smooth soul song, which has been played on Michigan and Illinois radio, isn’t entirely representative of his repertoire, which has edgier, hip-hop influences, but he hopes it will act as a springboard for his solo career. Although he used to gig at the old Velvet Room and continues to sing with the group Urban Sol, recently he’s worked mostly behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer.

“Kedar Massenburg, the former president of Motown Records who was in charge of the Roscoe Jenkins soundtrack, put me on the album despite me being unsigned and unknown,” Thompson says. “Now I’m working on releasing an album this summer, and I’m looking to do some shows around Milwaukee to reintroduce myself to the city.”